urban@spp2 (Mike Urban) (07/29/88)
In article <24100@teknowledge-vaxc.ARPA> wlieber@teknowledge-vaxc.UUCP writes: > >... Is it not a fact, that in the Graduate Record Exminations >(the GRE's), as a group, prospective teachers, place, ANNUALLY, second >to the BOTTOM in scores, (and always way below the third worst group?) >Teachers are ahead, of all the academic disciplines, ONLY of students going >into religious training! > >Start there with the standards for the teaching profession- new math, it is >felt, failed because the TEACHERS were not capable of scoping its value, >and could not convey what the mathematicians were justly trying to give >to the children, right? Beware of careless analysis here. By confusing cause and effect, you are concluding that the problem is that standards for teachers are too low. If standards were raised, you might find yourself with no teachers at all. Why? Because the excellent, the truly knowledgable, are lost to better paying careers in other industries. I know someone who holds a MS in Computer Science; his writing, teaching, and communication skills are excellent (according to people who have taken classes from him and read his writing), he has a better than average knowledge of a broad range of fields including mathematics, science, history, and literature, and he would love to teach. But he cannot afford a teaching career--he would have to take a 60% cut in his current yearly technician's salary if he accepted an entry-level teaching position (to say nothing of the time and money spent going back to school to get a teaching credential). Until we find some way to lure excellent individuals into the teaching profession, all the `high standards' in the world are not going to help. Incidentally, I have removed the cross-postings to misc.legal, soc.women, soc.men, news.admin(???) and talk.politics. Mike Urban ...!trwrb!trwspp!spp2!urban "You're in a maze of twisty UUCP connections, all alike"
reggie@pdn.UUCP (George W. Leach) (08/01/88)
In article <1372@spp2.UUCP> urban@spp2 (Mike Urban) writes: >Until we find some way to lure excellent individuals into the teaching >profession, all the `high standards' in the world are not going to help. I have great respect for the truly excellent teachers in the lower grades. They have to be totally committed to teaching young children. Why else would they accept a low paying job? Most who have been teaching for many years are payed less than an entry level college grad in the technical fields. For the rest, they deserve what they get. But our children deserve better. The only problem is that society as a whole will not want to pay for it. Sure there are some parents who are able and willing to pay for a good education for their children. They send their kids to private schools. For those who either can not afford it or don't care, there is the public school system. Perhaps what we need to see is for those who would benefit from a better education society to contribute towards the cost of achieving it. Corporations can contribute money, equipment, and the time of employees who have the ability and desire to teach, but who can not afford to take the cut in salary. -- George W. Leach Paradyne Corporation ..!uunet!pdn!reggie Mail stop LF-207 Phone: (813) 530-2376 P.O. Box 2826 NOTE: codas<--->pdn will be gone soon Largo, FL 34649-2826
nather@utastro.UUCP (Ed Nather) (08/02/88)
In article <24171@teknowledge-vaxc.ARPA>, wlieberm@teknowledge-vaxc.ARPA (William Lieberman) writes: > Of course, Hugh is right when he says that there is a lot of needless > ignorance everywhere, and I accept his fundamental point. > At the risk of beating a dead horse (horrid phrase!) I wonder how much of this ignorance is encouraged by our current system of equating grades with learning? Many students who graduate are convinced they really needn't learn much more after leaving school, since they "got by" and won't have to pass multiple-guess exams any more. Those who, somehow, learned to think and to teach themselves will still do it, and grow intellectually as they gain experience. Those who didn't, don't. -- Ed Nather Astronomy Dept, U of Texas @ Austin {backbones}!{noao,ut-sally}!utastro!nather nather@astro.as.utexas.edu
peking@sfsup.UUCP (L.Perkins) (08/06/88)
Maybe the solution is tax breaks at the Federal, state and local level level for those willing to take poorly paying, but important jobs. -- ___________________________________________________________________ "We intend to remain plural and not amused" -- Queen Victoria EMAIL: att!attunix!peking SNAILMAIL: Box 70403 Washington, DC 20024 -------------------------------------------------------------------